Networked systems generally utilize numerous computer servers that communicate with one another. Further, known networked systems have utilized redundant copies of data sets or databases to allow easy access thereto at multiple physical locations. Generally, a primary computer server will have a primary or “master” plurality of data sets which contains the most “up to date” data sets. For purposes of discussion, a data set is a logically grouped set of software attributes associated with an entity that can be electronically stored in a computer memory. An entity may comprise, for example, one of the following: a communication network element, data, a software event, or a logical operator. A secondary computer server often will have a redundant copy of the primary data set or a copy of a portion of the primary data set, which is called a secondary data set.
When supporting the known networked system it is necessary to synchronize the primary plurality of data sets and the secondary plurality of data sets to ensure that particular attributes stored in the predetermined data sets match one another. To accomplish this system synchronization task, known methods transmit the entire plurality of primary data sets from the first computer server to the secondary computer server to compare and update the secondary plurality of data sets, or vice versa. Accordingly, during this system-synchronization task, the transmission of a relatively large number of data sets, each having a relatively large number of attributes, between the servers in a networked system adversely affects concurrent transmission of other data because most of the system communication bandwidth is being utilized to synchronize the data sets.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method for performing data synchronization in a networked system that reduces the amount of information transmitted between the primary and secondary computer servers.